Language Services

Language Services including translation, transcription and interpreting. Available to the whole of the public and third sector. This agreement was awarded under PCR 2015.

Updates

1 April 2026: You can now watch recordings from our Myth busting AI in Language Services webinars. We worked with a number of our suppliers to talk about the reality of AI in Language Services .

Myth busting AI in Language Services webinars:

Description

Provides innovative language services designed to meet the public sector’s core needs. These services include:

  • translation
  • Interpretation (both spoken and British Sign Language)
  • transcription (including stenography and real time transcription)
  • fully scoped remote interpreting options (such as telephone and video interpreting)
  • technological solutions such as Machine Translation and Automated Speech Recognition (providing alternative ways of working that are efficient and effective)

All lots are accessible across the whole of the UK providing equal access to both Central Government and the wider public sector buyers. Lot 5 specialises in overseas interpreting requirements.

Product types

Lot 1: National Managed Service

Provides a managed service throughout the United Kingdom. This is a flexible solution that allows you to buy some or all services from a supplier awarded onto lot 1. Common services provided under this lot include:

  • advisory services, administrative support and efficient business processes that can be changed to meet your diverse language service needs
  • Spoken and Visual Translation, Transcription and Support Services
  • Spoken Telephone and Spoken and Visual Video Interpreting
  • Spoken and Visual Face to Face Interpreting

Lot 2: Translation and Support Services

Provides translation and support services throughout the United Kingdom. Common services provided under this lot include:

  • translation: The conversion of written documents into another language as text using human, computer assisted and machine translation solutions
  • support services: Additional services which include editing and formatting documents and file recreation

This lot will not support any visual or tactile requirements such as Braille or In-vision BSL. If you need these services, use lot 4. 

Lot 3: Transcription, Stenography and Recording Services

Provides transcription, stenography and recording services throughout the United Kingdom. These include:

  • transcription services: The conversion of recorded speech into a written format, provided remotely or onsite
  • recording services: In person or remote recording and logging servicing
  • stenography services: provides Stenographers to take dictation using either shorthand notation or a stenotype machine, then later transcribe their notes into formal documents/records either remotely or onsite

Lot 4: Visual Interpreting Services

This lot provides communication for the Deaf, Deafblind, and others requiring support through the following services:

  • interpreting services: provides face to face and remote (Video Relay Service (VRS)/Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) interpreting services
  • translation services: provides visual translation services, including British Sign Language (BSL) invision, braille and other visual/tactile translation services
  • transcription services: provides subtitling and or captioning services

Lot 5: Overseas and UK Interpreting Services

Provides spoken face to face interpreting services throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. This lot offers solutions that can be flexible to meet your needs. Common services provided through this lot include: 

  • advisory services 
  • administrative support
  • efficient business processes to ensure services are provided effectively

Benefits

  • enjoy the added value our suppliers can provide through social value criteria (such as: equality, diversity and fair working practices)
  • competitive market rates
  • we manage compliance checks to make sure suppliers follow the agreement’s terms and conditions
  • dedicated category management 
  • opportunity to achieve cost and time savings using technological solutions such as Machine Translation, Automatic Speech Recognition Software and emerging AI solutions

Products and suppliers

There are 32 suppliers on this agreement

Lot 1: National Managed Service

Expires:

20 suppliers

Lot 2: Translation and Support Services

Expires:

22 suppliers

Lot 3: Transcription, Stenography and Recording Services

Expires:

14 suppliers

Lot 4: Visual Interpreting Services

Expires:

11 suppliers

Lot 5: Overseas and UK Interpreting

Expires:

11 suppliers

How to buy

You can buy from this agreement either through direct award or further competition. There is no minimum spend requirement.

Direct award

This is suitable if there is only one supplier that meets your needs, or you can clearly see which supplier is the most beneficial to you.

To place a direct award you will need to:

  1. develop a clear specification of your needs
  2. use the Specification (found in the document section) to show that the mandatory requirements fulfil your needs, and to determine which supplier is the most advantageous 
  3. award the call-off contract by sending a completed and signed framework schedule 6 to the successful supplier (this can be done electronically)
  4. notify CCS of your award by emailing us (include in your email: contract name, contract length, contract total value and winning supplier name)

Direct awards will be priced based on maximum agreement rates. You should consider whether you can get better value for money through further competition before awarding a direct award. If you choose this option you cannot use any supplementary terms and conditions.

Further competition

Invite suppliers from a specific lot to compete for your business to get the best value. For example, you can specify service levels, the security clearance needed or minimum qualifications unique to your organisation. 

You are free to amend the call off agreement to reflect these.

To run a further competition you will need to:

  1. develop your specification and identify the suppliers who can meet your needs.
  2. use framework schedule 6 to refine your contract deliverables (what you need).
  3. develop your further competition award criteria.
  4. invite all identified suppliers to submit a tender in writing – this could be by email or through your preferred e-Sourcing tool (contact details for each supplier representative can be found in the products and supplier section. 
  5. set a time limit for the submission of tenders, (take into account the time needed to create and submit tenders and the complexity of your needs).
  6. keep each tender confidential until the time limit set out for the return of tenders has expired.
  7. apply your published award criteria to each submitted tender. 
  8. award your call-off contract by sending a completed and signed framework schedule 6 to the successful supplier (this can be done electronically).
  9. provide unsuccessful suppliers with written feedback on why their tenders were unsuccessful.
  10. notify CCS of your award by emailing us (include in your email: contract name, contract length, contract total value and winning supplier name).
  11. publish your contract on contracts finder for transparency purposes.

Call off agreement

Whatever option you choose, your call off agreement will set out the legal relationship between you and your chosen supplier. It is based on a standard set of terms and conditions which you can find in Framework Schedule 6. There are 2 parts to complete:

  • part 1 (the order form)
  • part 2 (the terms and conditions or ‘Core Terms’)

You can run and manage further competitions using our CCS eSourcing portal. To use this tool for the first time you will need to register an eSourcing account. 

Read full customer guidance on how to use the eSourcing portal.

If you need more information or would like to speak to a member of our team, send us an email.

Agreement pricing request

Pricing is available upon request by email CCS at info@crowncommercial.gov.uk

Documents

Updates

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) became Government Commercial Agency (GCA) on 1 April 2026. Documents published before this date may still refer to CCS. All contract documents remain valid for existing and new contracts, and there are no changes to how you work with us.

Documents